When Adversities Come In Waves

I hope you love the products and resources I recommend here at Foundational. It is possible that I get a commission and collect income from the links on this page. Click here for more info.

I am sure you are very aware the question is not will you face times of adversity. The only questions are how often, how big, and how will you handle it.

The Lord Jesus encouraged His disciples, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NKJV)

Jesus assures us that living in this world, we will have tribulation. But we can also have peace in the middle of the tribulation through His Word, through His presence in your life, and because He has overcome the world. Psalms 3 and 4 provide us further insight into the assurance Jesus has given.

There will be seasons when adversity seems to be coming in waves, rolling in one on top of another. There will be times when it seems the enemy has you surrounded and there is no way out. Feelings of abandonment may well up inside.

Thoughts of God having let you down may flood your mind.

It is in those times you need the assurance and affirmation of the Lord, “I have overcome the world.” It is in those times the assurance of His presence and the encouragement of His Word is most precious and brings you an inner peace others may not understand.

Quite often, it is during such times we experience personal attack from family and friends. I like to call them, opportunistic germs. Those people that may have seemed like friends, but take such opportunities, when you are most vulnerable emotionally and spiritually, to find fault, to criticize, and to point out failures and blind spots.

These attacks can feel like you are alone and surrounded by the enemy.

People will say, “If he or she really knew God… If they were really had faith… if they were really walking with God as it seemed and like they were talking…” In those moments the enemy will whisper in your ear, “There’s no hope for you in God now. Even God has abandoned you.”

He will point out times you have failed, character flaws, and spiritual weakness as justification for God abandoning you and letting this stuff happen.

It is in those moments you must not allow your ears to listen to the enemy. Do let your mind dwell upon his accusations and distortions. You must not take into your heart the words of those “opportunistic germs” and their accusations against you.

This is the time to only give ear to God’s Word and the Holy Spirit. Hear, right now, what God’s Word says in Psalm 3:3.

But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.”

You need to take a second look, with your spiritual eyes. The enemy may be surrounding you, or at least making you feel like you are surrounded by enemy forces. But look with your spiritual eyes and see.

Greater are the forces with you than with the enemy forces. Remember the promise from the Apostle John, “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1John 4:4 KJV)

Almighty God is not only your shield. He is your glory. He is your assurance. He will not abandon you, forsake, or turn His back on you. He will not allow the enemy to be of greater force than you can withstand.

He is your loving Heavenly Father and will not allow a bully to overtake His son or daughter. He is you glory!

Just like the little kid on the playground being intimidated by an older bully and the little child yells out, “My dad will beat you up! He is bigger than you!” That little boy’s dad is his glory.

Heavenly Father assures you, “I am a shield and your glory!”

He lifts your head. When you are feeling overwhelmed. When the waves of adversity are exhausting, discouragement is rising, and your head is hanging low. Holy Spirit within brings assurance you can do this. He affirms you of Father’s love, the security of His presence, and His strength within you.

You head lifts and you look to the hills from where you help comes (Psalm 121:1-2).

“I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill.”

When the enemy has surrounded you and the critics are predicting doom; when your mind is telling you, “You are surrounded, God has abandoned you, you are going down.” Get on your knees! Get in your war room!

It is time to shut off all the talking heads. It is time to stop all the negative self-talk. It is time to wait on God.

“I cried to the Lord… and He heard me…” Speak His Word. Read the Psalms. Declare His promises. Sing praise, worship, and thanksgiving to Him. Shout His goodness in the land of the living.

As you do, your eyes will be opened to the Spirit of God at work in the unseen realm. What you see with your natural eye is not the whole of what is happening. You’ve got to see with the spiritual eyes.

You will see what Ghazi, saw when the enemy was surrounding him and the prophet Elisha.

You will see what David saw, when the armies of Israel were hiding and the enemy giant, Goliath, was shouting and taunting them and their God.

You will see what the Apostles Paul and Barnabas saw, when they had put persecuted, beaten, and put in prison.

They sang songs of praise and worship to the Living God who had not forsaken them. Your spiritual eyes will be opened to see, the natural looks like you are surrounded, but in your war room you will see something entirely different.

When you cry, God hears. It may not feel like it. It is not based upon feeling. When you cry, God hears. It is not based upon the natural eyesight. When you cry, God hears. When you go to your war room and you dwell in the “secret place of the Most Hight,” you don’t stay awake at night worrying.

You don’t wake up in the middle of the night filled with anxiety and fear.

God fights your enemy on your behalf.

When you cry out, “Save me, O Lord.” God punches your enemy right in the face. When you cry out, God will punch the Devil and his demons right in the mouth and knock out their teeth. Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the Lord…” (Psalm 3:7-8 NKJV)

God who fights on your behalf is the same God who drowned the Egyptian army. He is the same God who rocked the giant in the head. He is the same God who has authority over the storms and waves. They must obey His voice.

Jesus Christ crushed the head of Lucifer.

Demons cannot stand before His name.

You win the battle EVERY TIME!

“Yet, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37 NKJV)